Annie Gladys Butler (1899–1978): A Family History Through Photographs
Early Life in Edmonton
Annie Gladys Butler was born on 6 February 1899 in Edmonton, Middlesex. At the time of her birth, her father Robert Henry Butler (1877–1930) was working as a shipping clerk. Her mother, Annie Butler (née Cook, 1879–1932), was just 20 years old.
Her parents had married in Edmonton on 3 April 1898, and the family lived at Haselbury Road, Silver Street, Edmonton. From around 1918 onward, she was known simply as Gladys.
Marriage and Children
The 1939 Register lists Annie Gladys Butler (1899–1978) living with her family in Wandsworth, a time of stability before the upheaval of war.
In July 1924, Gladys married Victor Palmer Simmonds (1897–1971), a van driver. The couple had two daughters:
– Dorothy Gladys Simmonds (1924–2014)
– Peggy Simmonds (born 1926)
By 1939, the family were living in Trevelyan Road, Wandsworth, a south-west London suburb.
Sisters and Extended Family
Gladys had two sisters. The elder, Marjorie Butler (1901–1961), married John William Whines (1899–1943), a paper merchant’s export manager, in 1928. They had a son, David John Whines, born in 1935.
The younger sister, Doris Butler, was born in Edmonton in 1909. Unfortunately, little is currently known about her life.
The Later Life of Annie Gladys Butler (1899–1978)
Gladys lived into old age and passed away in January 1978 at the age of 78.
Discovery of the Archive
Thanks to a diary entry, I was able to reconstruct the identity and family of Annie Gladys Butler (1899–1978), whose story might otherwise have been lost.
I acquired the collection of photographs and ephemera in 2019. Initially, there was no indication of the original owner or the identities of those featured. However, after discovering a name in a 1914 diary included in the collection, I was able to piece together relationships and confirm identities.
Much of the material has now been digitised and made publicly available.
Explore More
You can view more from the archive below:
